1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a downspout system for discharging runoff rainwater from a roof surface, and more particularly to an automatic retractable downspout system.
2. Description of Related Art
Precipitation runoff from roofs and other structures must be controlled so as to prevent soil erosion, foundation damage, and seepage. Such runoff water must be conveyed and deposited a safe distance from the structure's foundation or otherwise captured in a cistern or other suitable receptacle. Many attempts to collect and dispense rainwater in a responsible manner have been devised over the years. Among them, a gutter and downspout system has perhaps seen the greatest popularity. Generally, the gutter provides an elongated channel to collect rainwater runoff from a roof. The collected rainwater runs down a hole in the gutter and into a downspout which discharges the water flow through a dispensing spout.
However, most gutter and downspout systems have some drawbacks. Debris, leaves or twigs are often collected with the rainwater in the gutter. A large quantity of accumulated debris will block the flow of water, causing a clog that must be removed. Routine maintenance is therefore needed on most prior art gutter and downspout systems to pro-actively clear accumulations of debris so that a damaging water back-up condition does not develop in the system which could cause water damage below and as well as inside the building structure to which the gutter and downspout system is attached. This problem is often exacerbated in cold climates where stagnated rainwater in the gutter can freeze, and cause ice damming which can lead to very significant structural damage. For these reasons, the typical prior art gutter and downspout system requires frequent attention to avoid debris accumulation and clogging problems.
Another issue with prior art gutter and downspout systems relates to the nuisance factor of the downspout portion and its dispensing spout extending into natural traffic paths around the perimeter of a building structure. Especially in residential applications where access around the house is needed. Consider, for example, a residential home located on a small lot. The dispensing spout that extends from the gutter may need lay on top of the ground nearly to the property line, thereby posing a tripping hazard. Regardless of lot size, it is very often the case that lawn care and/or garden care is required in the vicinity of the downspout portion and its dispensing spout. In these situations, there are many opportunities to inflict damage by collisions with lawn care equipment and/or people. Crushed downspouts and dispensing spouts are common.
And still further, many people express dissatisfaction with the aesthetics of prior art downspout and dispensing spout constructions. So much so, that architectural efforts are often taken to hide or camouflage these components. Expensive options exist that attempt to add design interest to the downspouts and dispensing spouts to remediate their otherwise unsightly appearance. As a corollary to this aesthetics issue, the gutter and downspout systems require periodic painting, usually in color to match the trim elements of the structure. The maintenance factor associated with prior art gutter and downspout systems is therefore compounded.
The prior art has proposed various apparatus to resolve some of these drawbacks. Examples may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,567,004 to William, issued Sep. 4, 1951, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,851 to Fitz, issued Apr. 2, 1968. These prior art examples teach the replacement of the traditional static dispensing spout with a retractable spout feature. The spouts automatically deploy when it rains. However, when not in use the spout raises to prevent damage and remove the obstacle to traffic flow. Nevertheless, the prior art systems with retractable spouts are mechanically complicated, thereby increasing costs and likely failure modes. Furthermore, the prior art systems with retractable spouts are prone to clogging by accumulated debris. The complicated mechanical designs, that include many moving parts, increase the necessity for routine periodic maintenance and make clearing clogs more difficult.
There is therefore a need for an improved gutter system that can reduce the required maintenance efforts, that is not prone to clogging, that does not pose an obstruction to traffic around the base of a building structure, that does not detract from the aesthetic appearance of a building structure, and that reduces the normal trim painting requirements.